Diseases of the cardiovascular system and vessels of the limbs, including obliterating atherosclerosis, endarteritis, and diabetic angiopathy are the forms of severe pathology; their treatment commonly is limited to administration of various pharmacological agents (Charles F. Carey etc. “The Washington manual of medical therapeutics”). Non-medicamentous management of the diseases and devices used for this are also known. The methods are based on rhythmic pneumatic compression of the vessels of an affected extremity synchronized with the cardiac activity, so called “syncardiac” massage. As an example, the “Syncardon” device and similar appliances include an ECG registration system and a cuff which should be put to a limb; the cuff is attached to a pneumatic system for achieving compression with air waves of a variable pressure synchronized with ECG signals (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,402, Benjamin et al., Jul. 3, 1978; SU712085, Khapilov et al., Jan. 30, 1980; SU986421, Solovyev et al., Jul. 1, 1983).
There is a method of treatment for vascular diseases of the lower extremities consisting of ECG monitoring of the patient and generating sequences of the pressure impulses within a compression element placed over the affected extremity, where the impulses of the pressure are synchronized with QRS-complex parameters of the ECG (see patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,079, Dillon, Jul. 5, 1996). Impulse parameters of the pressure and its duration are chosen in order that the impulse is generated with a delay in relation to QRS-complex, and the descending part of the impulse is finished prior to initiation of the systole of the QRS-complex. The device includes an ECG analyzer connected to a computer which is attached to the driving point of the control and indication unit a driving output of which is attached to a compression element via gas distribution device and a source of the compressed air. The compression element provides loading along all the extremity from the foot up to the knee. A disadvantage of the method is the limited functional capacity which prevents selectivity of the impact that doesn't allow creating an effective antegrade wave of the blood pressure. It is known about the use of independently managed compressive cuffs which are usually placed to proximal and distal parts of an affected extremity for creation of the antegrade wave of the blood pressure, but this method is used without synchronization with QRS-complexes (RU2253429 C1, Amosov et al., Oct. 6, 2005) that reduces the efficacy of such an impact.
There is a device for performing external counterpulsation which is synchronized with the cardiac rhythm (RU2135216 C1, Vasomedical Inc, Aug. 27, 1999). This device contains a source of a compressed gas, e.g. an air compressor with the maximum pressure up to 0.2 MPa, a positive pressure receiver, a negative pressure receiver, and gas-distributing components attached to compression cuffs. The device also contains a control unit for duration of filling/emptying of the cuffs, an analyzer of the ECG, ABP, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) parameters, and a unit of visualization of the measured and managed parameters.
There is a device containing a source of the compressed air connected via a receiver to a limiter of pressure and gas-distribution units which are connected with occlusive compression cuffs placed on the patient's body and supplied by pressure sensors, a unit for measurements of the cardiovascular system parameters connected to a control and indication unit (RU2282465 C2, Sudarev et al., Aug. 27, 2006). The main disadvantage of the device is a need of the use of a high-pressure compressor that increases considerably power consumption and mass-dimensional characteristics of the device.
A device (WO2007008201 (A1), Pickett et al., Jan. 18, 2007), contains a source of compressed air, a positive pressure receiver, gas-distributing units connected to compression cuffs, a source of the high pressure (minicompressor) controlling the valves of a gas-distributing unit; a valve assuring pressure release from the receiver. The device also contains a pressure sensor, a control unit for valves of the gas-distributing unit, an analyzer of the ECG, and a visualization unit of the parameters measured and managed. However, it is not capable of separate managing the pressure impulse magnitude in the compression cuffs that is rational in case of any changes of patient's physiological parameters.